A Fairy War
by idrylla
Summary: Takes place immediately after BF story "Dark Eyes." Molly has left the Doctor to go back to the war, but Dr. Sally Armstrong was alive again, thanks to Molly's changing history for the better. The Doctor invites Sally to join him on an adventure in time to see the first calculator, but things never go according to plan with the Doctor and instead they get mixed up in a fairy war.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Doctor watched Molly disappear behind the tent city that surrounded the once stately châteaux. He stood at the threshold of the TARDIS and listened to the cries coming from the hundreds of wounded soldiers in those tents. It took nerves of steel to work in those makeshift hospitals, but it took guts to voluntarily go back when you've had a taste of freedom from those horrors. And that is just what Molly had - guts, and lots of them.

He closed the door and went back to the small table where Molly had left her farewell note to him. He frowned and almost a moment later, he smiled. Molly O'Sullivan. She had infuriated him more than once in their short time together, but she had also made him laugh. A true genuine laugh. He had not truly laughed like that in a very long time.

He had been sent to save Molly and he had done just that. The Daleks had not succeeded in killing her. But she had saved his life several times. He could think of two separate occasions where she had actually dragged his unconscious body away from the firing range of the Daleks. She had saved him from a botched blood transfusion that most certainly would have killed him if it had gone on a few minutes more. And she had helped him to clear his lungs of the horrible mustard gas that he had been directly exposed to on the battlefield. The more he thought about their short time together, the more instances he could think of where she had been the one to save him.

Of course, he smiled to himself, she had inflicted quite a bit of pain on him as well. She had punched him twice in the face. The first punch had been powerful enough to knock him out.

Molly had been hard working and brave. She stood up to anyone who stood in her way, but she was also kind and willing to extend a hand of friendship. She was never a victim, even though life had not been easy for her. She stood up for what she believed in and wasn't afraid to call the Doctor out if he showed any signs of hypocrisy. He had preached hope to her, but he had been unable to believe in it himself. Molly had even once called him a "flaming idiot," which should have made him angry, but considering the circumstances and hearing her say it in her down-to-earth Irish lilt, the insult was rather comical and perhaps, just perhaps, very slightly true.

Despite her stubbornness and the exasperating way she was always messing about with the console controls, he had liked Molly. She had known a hard life of work and servitude and now was in the thankless position as a World War I VAD, but it had only made her stronger and she worked harder for a better life. In the end, she had left him. He had planned on taking Molly with him, to travel with him, but she had a strong sense of duty and love for the soldiers she helped to care for. She left the Doctor a farewell letter and had snuck out of the TARDIS, returning to the horrors of war.

The Doctor went to the console controls. He set the TARDIS in flight in the vortex. He decided he would go back for Molly one day. Perhaps when the war was over. Of course it would be easy for him to travel a few years ahead in Earth's history and just go right to the end of the war and pick up Molly. He could do that in his sleep, but he decided he needed a little time away from Molly.

One side of his face was still a little tender from the last punch she had thrown him. He wanted to travel with Molly again, but not just yet.

He picked up Molly's letter again and re-read it. "I realize now that with everything Kotris did undone, my Kitty will still be alive." He read that line several times before its meaning really sunk in - everything that had happened while he and Molly had been together had all been undone when Kotris had died. That meant that Dr. Sally Armstrong at the Ides Scientific Institute would still be alive.

The Doctor had felt so terrible after watching a Dalek kill Sally. He had watched way to many people die at the hands of the Daleks over the many centuries of his life. Dear friends and family had been killed by them right in front of his eyes. Some of the deaths were still so recent for him and the holes left in his hearts from their deaths were still so fresh, that after he watched Sally fall, he was ready to give up. He had come unglued and suicidal. He gave himself up to the Daleks ready to except his extermination. If Molly hadn't been there with her common sense, he would have died right next to Sally. Now the thought made him shiver with horror.

Sally. He would go see Sally. She had wanted so much to go with the Doctor and experience time travel.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I forgot the obligatory disclaimer. Doctor Who is not mine. This story is my own original creation, though. Just to clear things up incase someone asks. :)**_

_**Counting with Fairies: Nothing ever quite goes to plan with the Doctor. Sally Armstrong asked to see the first mechanical calculator in 1642 France. Instead she finds herself on an adventure with the Doctor and in the middle of a war between fairies.**_

**Chapter 2**

Sally. He would go see Sally. She had wanted so much to go with the Doctor and experience time travel. Of course, she wouldn't know the Doctor in this version of reality, but he was sure he would be able to convince her to join him for a little trip.

He absent-mindedly ran his fingers through the curls in his hair. He had charmed many a human female with those curls and a winning smile. Come to think of it, he had charmed a good number of human males too. He had a way with people.

The Doctor gently folded Molly's letter. He found a book in his vast library about Ireland and stuck Molly's letter into it. He then returned to the console and set the coordinates: Ides Scientific Institute, London, England, Earth, 1971. Moments later the TARDIS landed and the glass bars in the console's central column came to a halt. The Doctor checked the monitor, making sure he wasn't in the middle of a busy road, in the path of a bus, or in a dark alley with armed thugs. Nope, everything seemed pretty normal.

Absently, his hand touched the left side of his new leather jacket. He felt the sonic screwdriver in his pocket. He was ready for anything. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and walked out. The sights, sounds and smells of London filled the Doctor's keen senses. He saw a small warehouse building with a simple plaque on its door: ISI. Taped to the door was a paper sign that instructed all visitors to see the receptionist at the front desk.

The Doctor opened the front door and walked in. A middle-aged woman with a beehive hair-do was sitting at a desk. A large type writer was in the middle of the desk and the woman stopped her pecking at the keys of the typewriter to look at the stranger who had just walked in.

The Doctor put on a charming smile, "Good afternoon. I would like to see Dr. Armstrong please."

The woman looked at him over her wire-framed glasses. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"No, I don't, but I was having a very interesting discussion with her recently on temporal physics and wanted to continue, if she is available." Funny how he could lie and tell the truth at the same time. He had indeed talked to Sally less than a week ago in his own time-line, but it was a year in Sally's future and in an alternate reality. The beehive haired woman picked up a large clunky black telephone and dialed. "Kathy, it's Peg. Does Dr. Armstrong have any appointments today? I see. Well, there is a gentleman here to see her. Oh, I didn't ask, just a moment. Excuse me, sir?" she looked at him, holding one hand over the phone, "May I have your name please?"

"The Doctor," he answered.

"Doctor what?" she asked him.

He chuckled to himself. He usually got asked 'Doctor who' not 'Doctor what.' Why couldn't humans just accept his name? His mind flashed back to a moment when this current incarnation was less than one day old and Grace Holloway had introduced him to a colleague of hers as 'Dr. Bowman, from London'.

"Doctor Bowman," he answered the receptionist.

"Dr. Bowman," she said into the phone. There was a few moments of silence. "Fine, thank you." She hung up the phone and looked at the Doctor again. "Dr. Armstrong will see you. Follow me, please."

The Doctor followed the woman through a door and down several halls before arriving at another door that said, 'Dr. Sally Armstrong.'

He opened the door and stepped through. He was standing in front of another secretary sitting behind a desk. He noticed the calendar on the desk. It was October. "Hello," he cheerfully said, "I'm the Doctor and I'm here to see Dr. Armstrong."

The pretty, young secretary smiled shyly at him. His charm was working on her. "Dr. Armstrong is waiting. Go right in."

The Doctor flashed a smile at her and he went in. He couldn't help but notice he was feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. His time with Molly had done him some good. With her, he had saved the girl, the universe, and his people, and while he still felt the pain of other recent losses, he felt some hope again. Not everything in the universe was bad. Molly had given him a shot in the arm of hope and he was feeling pretty good.

Dr. Armstrong was sitting behind a desk that was littered with papers and electronic bits and wires. She was fiddling around with a circuit board. "Dr. Bowman, I was delighted to hear you had come to see," she looked up and saw the Doctor. "Wait a moment, you're not Dr. Bowman."

"I'm the Doctor," he said closing the door behind him. "Dr. Armstrong, it's a pleasure to see you alive."

"Alive? Of course I'm alive. And who are you again?"

Oops, the Doctor thought. Time shifts, time lines, alternate realities. It could be so difficult to keep it all straight some times, even for a Time Lord. "I'm the Doctor," he repeated. He noticed several things hanging on the wall behind Dr. Armstrong's desk. A newspaper clipping showed a primitive Earth spaceship, the Apollo 14, and its crew. Another newspaper clipping hanging on the wall was about the newest invention out of the American company Texas Instruments - a pocket calculator. Next to that article was a small glossy black and white photo of ex-Beatle John Lennon.

"I'm sorry Doctor," Sally said, "but do we know each other?"

The Doctor's blue eyes darted about the rest of the room. His Time Lord brain took in every detail in a flash. One thing he noticed was a small box on Sally's desk. The outside was stamped 'Intel.'

"Oh!" the Doctor said. He walked to her desk and picked up the box. He peered inside and saw on a small foam bed, a small piece of metal with eight metal legs on either side. "Is this the 4001?" he asked.

"No, it is the 4004, the very latest microprocessor." Sally Armstrong carefully snatched the box back from the Doctor. She gently placed it back on her desk. "You haven't answered my question. Who are you?"

"I have answered your question. But I'll answer it once more. I'm the Doctor. We met once and discussed temporal physics."

"Temporal physics? As in what it would take to time travel?" Sally scoffed, "It is impossible, even if it is fun to think about."

"Nothing is impossible," the Doctor said.

"This 4-bit processor is a huge step for us scientist, but I doubt it is quite what we need for time travel," Sally said. She peered into the box at the processor on its foam bed.

"Your right there," the Doctor said under his breath. If Sally had heard his remark on the 4-bit processor, she didn't let on that she had.

"Who sent you here?" she asked. "Are you from Busicom?"

The Doctor leaned back in his chair, "No, I'm not from Busicom."

"Then who are you spying for?" Sally's eyes grew dark.

"I'm not a spy. Look Sally, I came here," the Doctor began, but Sally interrupted him.

"That's Dr. Armstrong, mister," Sally said.

The Doctor took a deep breath and kept his voice calm, but he was getting irritated by Sally's behavior. "I'm sorry, Dr. Armstrong. May I start again?"

Sally nodded. She motioned to the chair behind the Doctor and invited him to sit down. He sat down. "Dr. Armstrong, my name is the Doctor. I'm an independent scientist. You and I have discussed time travel before, but I'm afraid you don't remember because it was in your future."

Her voice was quiet. Barely above a whisper. "What do you mean we talked in my future?" Sally asked.

"I mean, Dr. Sally Armstrong, that I am a time traveler and I've returned from your future to see you."

Sally seemed temporarily dumb-struck, but then her scientific mind kicked in and she regained her composure. "How far into my future?"

"Oh, about eight months, I'd say," the Doctor answered.

"So why come back now, to this point, eight months before our previous meeting?" she asked him.

The Doctor sighed. It was so difficult to explain these things to humans. "It's complicated and you're not ready for the truth, yet. What I came here today for, was to ask you Dr. Sally Armstrong, if you would like to go on a little trip though time?"

Sally sat back in her chair and watched the Doctor. "You can travel though time?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Tell me something then, about the future," she said.

The Doctor sighed, "I can't do that. Telling you something about the future could be dangerous. It could even change future events. Can't you just trust me?"

"Come now, Doctor," Sally laughed, "I'm sure that there are many things about the future that you could tell me that would not destroy the whole of reality."

He smiled. She was right, of course. Smart, this one is, he thought. Of course she is. She would have to be as the director of the Ides Scientific Institute. "Alright. If I tell you one thing, will you come with me to see my time machine?"

"Yes, I'll come to see your time machine, but I'm not promising I'll go with you."

"Fair enough," the Doctor said. He knew if he could get her to the TARDIS, he would be able to convince her to go with him. The TARDIS was extremely impressive and it's magnificence alone could convince anyone. What future tid-bit could he give her? Oh yes, he thought of a good one. "In the year 2012, London will host the Summer Olympics."

Sally's eyes grew wide.

"Now," the Doctor stood up, "are you ready to go see my time machine?" He smiled at her.

Sally stood up, "How do I know what you just told me is true?"

"Well, you'll just have to wait until 2005 when they make the announcement." He was being a bit cheeky. Molly wouldn't have put up with that. He wasn't sure Sally would either, judging by the look she was giving him. After a moment, she smiled.

"I guess you're right. Lead the way," she walked to the office door and opened it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

They both walked out of Sally's office. Sally turned to her secretary. "Kathy, I'm going out, but I'll be back," she stopped and looked at the Doctor.

He understood her unspoken question: How long does time travel take? "Within the hour," he finished her sentence.

"Within the hour," Sally repeated to her secretary.

"Yes, Dr. Armstrong," Kathy said. She looked at the Doctor and he smiled at her. As they walked out of the office, the Doctor noticed the secretary's face blush. Still got it, he thought to himself.

Sally led the Doctor out a side door. From there he took the lead.

"If I agreed to go with you, and we traveled somewhere in time, could you really have me back within the hour?" Sally asked?

"Time machine," the Doctor said.

"So where is this time machine of yours?" Sally asked as they turned a corner onto the street where the TARDIS was parked.

The Doctor pointed at the blue box in front of them. "Right there."

"I was expecting something different. Something like the time machine in H.G. Well's book," Sally said.

"I love that book!" the Doctor said. They reached the TARDIS and the Doctor pulled out his key. He opened the door and allowed Sally to enter first.

Depending on the passenger and the circumstances they were brought into the TARDIS, he usually enjoyed the first time reactions of visitors upon seeing the TARDIS interiors. Many were shocked and would run back outside to see the small dimensions of the box. Others stood in shock, unable to form words to express their feelings. Others would accept it with little issue. Sally was one of the latter. She was a scientist after all. She walked right up to the console and began looking over the various knobs, switches, levers and displays. She ran her hand alongside the console, but never touching the controls. She finally turned to face him and noticed more of the room she was standing in.

"This is a beautiful place," she said.

The Doctor smiled. "I don't know that anyone has ever called the TARDIS beautiful before, but you're right. It is."

Sally looked around the room some more and turned back to gaze at the console. "It isn't at all what I expected. I thought it would be white and sterile looking. Metal and hard, but this is beautifully decorated, ornate and comfortably furnished."

"This is my home. It's been white and sterile looking before, but I finally decided to decorate it a bit and make it a comfortable place to live."

"Your home? So you live in here?"

"Yes. Down the hall is my bedroom, a kitchen, a library, a garden, a music room, and sometimes there is even a swimming pool." The Doctor casually walked over to the console.

Sally laughed. "You're putting me on, Doctor. And wait, all of this is inside the blue police box?"

The Doctor nodded.

"I see. The box is a disguise, is it?" Sally asked.

"You're right Sally," the Doctor used her first name, hoping she wouldn't bite his head off again.

She smiled, "Well Doctor, I'm impressed. So, if you remember, I promised to come see your time machine, but I didn't promise to go with you."

The Doctor's hearts sank.

Sally saw the change in the Doctor's mood. She smiled a bigger smile than before. "However," she said, slowly dragging the word out, "it seems a shame to go now that I'm here. Plus, I want to see if what you say is true. Can you really travel in time?"

The Doctor smiled, "Just wait and see." He flipped a few switches and sent the TARDIS into the vortex. Sally felt the TARDIS move slightly and her eyes grew wide. "Now, anywhere you want to go? Any time in history you wish to see?"

Sally thought for a few moments. All of time was open to her. She thought about asking him to take her to the summer 2012 Olympics, just to see if it was truly held in London, but she knew she would find that out eventually. She would be alive for that event, older, but alive. No, she knew what she wanted to see. Her work at the Ides Scientific Institute was working on robots and computers. Teaching robots to learn, think and retrieve data. She wanted to see the beginning of the computer's life. One of its earliest ancestors. "France, 1642, the first mechanical calculator."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her, smiled, and set to work on the coordinates. "You want to see Pascal Blaise?"

"Yes, or at least see that first calculator. You know Doctor, we have a calculator at the ISI, but it is huge, takes up an entire room and cost us quite a bit of money. Most of the money was from grants and donations. The Pascaline was hand held. Smaller than our own type writers that we use every day. It used hand crafted metal cogs and had to be hand cranked. People worried then that the Pascaline would be the end of many jobs. They were afraid that technology would out-source humans."

"The first technophobes," the Doctor said.

She laughed. "If only they knew the number of jobs computers would create and how much our lives would change for the better."

The Doctor was watching her intently. Foreknowledge was dangerous. It was always a risk he took when he traveled back in time. "Sally, you mustn't let on that you know the future. Time travel is as dangerous as it is wonderful. We mingle and meet, but we cannot interfere with events. No giving hints or suggestions on how to improve. We observe only. Do you understand?"

"I do, Doctor. I have no wish to interfere, only to see the Pascaline." Sally thought for a moment about this time traveler and the things he might have seen. "Doctor, you've been to the future, haven't you?"

"Many times," he answered.

"Then you know the future of the computer," she asked.

He nodded.

"It's probably beyond my imagination what computers will be able to do in 20 or 30 years," she hung her head sadly. "Am I right?"

Again, he nodded.

"Then is it worth my doing?"

"What do you mean, Sally?" he asked.

"The work I'm doing. My computers and robots that I'm building. Is it worth continuing when in just a few decades my work will probably be completely obsolete and irrelevant?"

"Sally, listen to me. Your work is not irrelevant. Do you think that the computers of the future will be able to be created without the discoveries you will help make with your work? Just like Pascal paved the way for modern calculators, your work will help pave the way for the next generation of computers. Your work is very important. Keep it up and never for a moment think that it is irrelevant."

Sally looked at the Doctor. Her eyes were moist, but his were intense and sincere. She was surprised by the intensity of his gaze. She felt relieved that she could perhaps make a difference in the creation of computers. "Can we go see the Pascaline now?" she asked.

"Let's go!" he smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

He took Sally by the hand and led her to the door of the TARDIS.

"We're here, already?" Sally was surprised at how short of time it took to travel several hundreds of years.

He pulled open the door and they stepped out. "Welcome to France, 1642," the Doctor said.

The grass was green beneath their feet and the landscape rolled with green hills. Homesteads and animals could occasionally be seen. Sally took a few tentative steps away from the TARDIS and looked around. She watched a boy with a herd of sheep go past her. He stared at the strangers and the blue box for several moments before moving on.

The boy had made Sally uncomfortable. She looked down at her clothes. The brown bell-bottom dress suit and boots she was wearing was fine for working in 1971, but it was probably highly offensive clothes for a female in 1642. She turned back to the Doctor, "I stick out like a sore thumb."

He looked at her for a moment and then led her back into the TARDIS. He pointed to a door off the console room. "Third door to your right is the wardrobe. I'm sure you can find something suitable to wear in there."

"What? A wardrobe?" Sally asked.

"I'm sure you can find some 17th century clothing in there, but find something plain to wear. Nothing too upper class and make sure you have on comfortable shoes. Something you can run in, if needs be."

"Run? Are we planning on running?" Sally turned to face him. "Do you expect trouble?"

"No, not expecting any," the Doctor said innocently, "but it's always best to be prepared."

Sally turned and went down the hall. The Doctor set about tinkering at the console. Seeing there wasn't much to do, he decided to change clothes too and went to his own room. He returned to the console room sixty seconds later. He sat down in his favorite chair and flipped through a book that had been sitting on the table next to the chair. Why did women take so long to change?

Sally appeared in the console room several minutes later. She seemed tangled up in her over-tunic. "Doctor," she called to him, "how does this work?"

He went to her and helped her get the tunic on properly and then he tied the laces for her. She smiled sheepishly and thanked him. "I'm a scientist," she said. "I never was interested or paid much attention to my history lessons. I have no idea what women wore, but I found a book in the wardrobe on European fashions through the centuries. I found a page on the 17th century fashion and I tried to copy it."

"You look fine. What about shoes?" the Doctor asked.

Sally lifted her skirts up to her knees, exposing the trainers beneath them. The Doctor smiled. "Let's go!" he said. He ran to the door and pulled it open. Sally stepped out into the sun-filled French countryside. The Doctor joined her and shut the TARDIS door behind him.

"Aren't you going to changed clothes Doctor?"

"I already did," he said.

Sally saw no difference. He was wearing the exact same thing as far as she could tell, blue pants and a leather jacket. The Doctor opened his jacket to expose the white v-neck shirt underneath. "See, new shirt."

Sally was amused by him. He headed off down the hill. Sally jogged to catch him up and then kept pace with him. She loved seeing the country side. Farms and livestock were the only things they saw for a while. Soon they found a well traveled road that seemed to lead to a distant village. They turned down it and headed towards the village.

"Doctor," Sally finally said as they walked down the road. "This is quite lovely and I'm thrilled to be here, but I thought we were going to see Pascal Blaise and his Pascaline."

"He's around here somewhere," the Doctor casually said.

"Doesn't your time machine take you to those places so you don't have to wander about the countryside?" Sally asked.

"Well, I didn't have very specific coordinates for the TARDIS to follow. France, 1642, Pascal Blaise only gets us so far. Now, if you had told me his address or neighborhood, I could have gotten us quite a bit closer," the Doctor answered.

"I see," Sally said. "Live and learn."

"Exactly," the Doctor answered. He was impressed with Sally. Her questions weren't asked with a complaint, they were asked with a thirst for knowledge. He was liking having a scientist with him. They see the world differently and asked questions with the purpose of getting true answers.

"You said TARDIS. Is that the name of your machine?"

"Yes, it stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. Oh, what do we have here?" The Doctor nodded his head down the road slightly. Sally looked where he indicated and saw a group of people huddled in a circle. They seemed to be looking at the ground.

"Do you speak French, Doctor?" Sally asked, suddenly realising that the few French phrases she knew wouldn't be enough to hold any kind of conversation in 17th century France.

"I can speak it well enough and don't worry, so can you." They had almost reached the crowd. "Just speak normally."

"But Doctor, I," Sally began.

"Trust me. I'll explain later," he whispered at her.

"Good morning, friends," he said pleasantly.

They stood up quickly and regarded the strangers in front of them. The Doctor took a step closer to see what everyone had been looking at moments before.

"This is interesting," he said. Sally followed his gaze and looked at the ground. She saw what looked like a child's toy carriage and horse. The carriage was red and gold and ornately decorated. She was about to dismiss it as nothing more than a child's toy lost on the road, when she saw the tiny brown horse move. She inhaled quickly. The toy horse was alive, but by the way it was laying on the ground, it was badly injured.

The Doctor pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped it around the horse. With the horse in his right hand and the carriage in the left, he gently lifted them off the ground.

"Sir, that is a fairy carriage! You shouldn't touch it," the younger man in the group said.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked. It was too late anyway, he was holding it.

"Fairies are no good. They will curse you!" the man said backing away from the Doctor.

"What? Curse me for helping it? I'll take my chances. Here, Sally, help me." The Doctor gave Sally the carriage to hold while he gently freed the horse from its reigns. The horse made a lot of noise, but it didn't struggle. Once freed, the Doctor wrapped the horse in the handkerchief and stuck it into an inner breast pocket of his jacket. He took the carriage from Sally and opened the tiny door. He looked in, but saw no one and closed the small door again. The Doctor wasn't convinced that the carriage was empty. He had seen wisps' of purple dust when he opened the door. He suspected a fairy was hiding inside the carriage somewhere. "What happened here?" he asked the group of people.

A young woman, Sally guessed was in her late teens, spoke up. "I was coming back along the road from the mill when I saw it. It was flying low to the ground and it seemed with great difficulty, when it suddenly fell to the ground, right at my feet."

"It's a bad omen," the one younger man said. He pointed at the girls mid-section, "You had better pray that your child hasn't been cursed by the fairy who fell at your feet."

The girl's hands flew to her belly, which, Sally noticed was slightly enlarged by pregnancy. "Oh dear!" she cried.

Sally went to the girl and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry," Sally said. "I'm sure your baby is fine."

"Fairies are no good," the young man said. "There's been trouble in the village and they say it has been caused by fairies. I don't want anything to do with them." The man walked off down the road towards the village.

The Doctor watched the man walk off. Maybe now he could get some answers out of the girl with him gone. "What happened after the carriage fell?" he asked the girl.

"Well, I didn't know what to do. I was about to pick it up when that man," she pointed at the figure who was walking away from them, "came up the road and stopped me."

"And we arrived shortly after that," the second man said. He was older and was accompanied by an elderly white haired woman.

The Doctor took careful notice of the people who had gathered at the site of the crash. The young woman and this older couple were most likely peasants or poor tradesmen. The man who had just left had been dressed a little nicer. The Doctor guessed he was either a higher skilled tradesman or a low level politician in the village.

"What will you do now sir?" the older man asked.

"Well, I think we should find the fairy this horse and carriage belong too," the Doctor said.

"Good luck with that," the man laughed. "Fairies are near impossible to find and could cause you quite a bit of mischief if you do find happen to find them. Come along Mother," the man held out his arm to the elderly lady and slowly led her down the road.

Sally's arm was still around the girls shoulders and judging by the way the girls shoulders were shaking, Sally guessed that she was crying. "What's your name?" Sally asked the girl.

"Marie-Claire," the girl answered.

"Well, I'm Sally and this is the Doctor. Don't worry about what that man said. You're going to be fine."

Sally sobbed, "What if the fairies are planning on taking my baby and leaving a changeling instead? It would be such a disgrace. Pierre would lose business with his customers and then we'd have no money and no way to care for the children."

Sally really didn't understand much about fairies and didn't believe they were real at all, although the tiny horse and carriage were strange. The Doctor was looking around for a clue of any kind as to where the carriage might have come from. Marie-Claire was still crying quietly. He took Marie-Claire by the arm and led her to a near-by tree. He helped her to sit down in the shade. Sally sat next to her. The Doctor reached into a pocket of his jacket and pulled out a leather pouch. "Have some water, Marie-Claire. You'll feel better."

Marie-Claire took the pouch and began to drink. The Doctor sat down between the two women and gently set the carriage in the grass.

"Feel better?" he asked the young girl.

Marie-Claire wiped some drops of water from her face, "Yes, thank you."

"What direction did the carriage fly from when you saw it?" The Doctor asked.

She pointed in the direction of a grove of trees, "From over there." Marie-Claire looked down at her stomach and laid her hands on the bulge. She rubbed her stomach gently. "Are you really a doctor?"

The Doctor knew where this was headed. It would just be easier to just agree than try to explain exactly what he was a doctor of. He nodded.

"Do you think my baby has been cursed by the fairies?"

"No, I don't believe so. I'd say your baby is doing very well." The Doctor laid his hands on her belly and felt it. He got a kick in the palm from a tiny foot. "Yes, your baby is very strong. You felt it kick me just now." Marie-Claire laughed. "Now, don't worry about it anymore. When you get home, try and get some rest. That is the best thing you can do."

"Thank you Doctor," Marie-Claire said.

"When is your baby expected to be born?" Sally asked.

"In the fall. The mid-wife said it would be in October," Sally explained. "I hope it's a girl, but Pierre, that's my husband, he wants a boy."

"Well, that's natural for a father, isn't it?" Sally asked.

"Yes, but he has two sons already. He and his first wife had two boys. She died in childbirth with the second baby. Boys are such noisy little things, but they make me laugh. I'm hoping this one is a girl, but I don't dare tell that wish to Pierre." Marie -Claire laughed.

The Doctor tried to being the conversation back to the problem at hand. He understood why this young girl was concerned for her child, but pregnant women made the Doctor slightly nervous. For one thing, they couldn't run and he always seemed to be running. He wanted to solve the fairy mystery. "The first man you met on the road, he said there were some recent problems with the fairies?" The Doctor asked. "What do you know about that?"

Marie-Claire shook her head, "Not much. I've heard a few stories from others. Yves, the baker, said that some fairies came during the night and tore his bakery apart just a few days ago, and the butcher boy said that he saw a fairy ring not long ago in the woods there."

"Did you know that man?" the Doctor asked.

"No, if he is from the village, he lives in a different neighborhood. I've not seen him before." Marie-Claire explained.

"Do fairies do that kind of thing? Destroy personal property, I mean," Sally asked.

"Fairies are known to make mischief, but they don't often destroy things," the Doctor said, thoughtfully.

"How can you not know about fairies?" Marie-Claire asked Sally.

"Well, you don't often see them in London," Sally smiled.

"You're from London?" Marie-Claire asked. "I've heard it's a big town."

"Yes it is," Sally said.

"I've never left our village boundaries before, but next summer there will be a large fair on the other side of Rouen. Pierre said we will go to the fair. The baby will be big enough to travel by then. I can't wait to go. It will be so exciting." Marie-Claire's enthusiasm made Sally laugh.

"I dare say it will," Sally said.

Marie-Claire took another sip of water before handing the pouch back to the Doctor. "I had better be home. My sister has my boys until I get back and I'm sure she is ready to send them home. We take turns. When she goes to the mill, I watch her young children and when I go to the mill, she keeps mine. Thank you for the water, Doctor. It was nice to meet you both."

The Doctor stood up and helped Marie-Claire up off the ground. "Remember, try and get some rest today when you get back home."

"I will. Thank you Doctor." She placed her hands on her back and stretched a bit before walking back to the road. She picked up a large sack off the ground, hoisted it onto her back and started walking to the village.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sally watched the young girl with the heavy sack of flour on her back and the bulging baby belly in the front. "Should she be carrying that heavy sack on her back when she is expecting?" Sally asked.

"Probably not," the Doctor said.

"Are you really the kind of doctor what would know about babies?" Sally asked.

The Doctor laughed, "No, I'm not, but I know many things and the basics of human reproduction is among my knowledge. In this period of history, births are attended to by local mid-wives. Only the very rich can afford doctors. Marie-Claire had me at a bit of a disadvantage. She had a doctor sitting next to her and she decided to take advantage of that by asking my opinion. I wasn't going to take the time to explain otherwise and disappoint her."

"So you lied to her?"

"No, of course not. As soon as that man on the road accused her of being a bad omen, I scanned her. She is fine and so it the baby."

"What do you mean you scanned her?" Sally asked.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and showed it to her. "I scanned her with this. It's a sonic screwdriver. Very handy little gadget."

"I don't guess you are going to explain to me what that really is or how it works." The Doctor smiled a half-smile at her. "Technology from my future, right?" Sally smiled.

"Exactly," the Doctor answered.

He held the sonic screwdriver out in front of him and pressed a button. It lit up and started to make a humming noise. He pointed it at a group of trees and then looked at the tiny display. He nodded his head. He then looked around him, up and down the road, making sure that they were alone. He leaned in and spoke to the carriage. "Hello? Are you alright? I'm a friend and will not harm you. Can I help?"

The Doctor sat very still for a few moments. Sally held her breath. She wondered if perhaps fairies were real after all. She about jumped out of her skin when she heard the tiniest voice coming from the carriage.

"And the female?" the voice said.

"She will not harm you either," the Doctor said.

The door to the carriage opened and out stepped the tiniest figure Sally could have ever imagined. A fairy. A real live fairy. She recalled a book she had as a child with a fairy on the cover. This fairy didn't look at all like the fairy on her book cover did. Sally guessed the fairy was five inches high. She was dressed in a regal gown made of daisy petals. Her hair was purple and in a long plait down her back. She looked quite disheveled.

"I'm sorry for all the rough movement you must have experienced while I carried you. I was as gentle as I could be," the Doctor said.

"I appreciate that. Thank you for rescuing me from those peasants on the road. They would have killed me for sure," the tiny fairy said. "I am Lady Columbine, one of Queen Feja's ladies-in-waiting."

"It is an honor to meet you Lady Columbine. I am the Doctor and this is Sally," the Doctor introduced. He bowed his head to the fairy. Sally followed his example. "What happened Lady Columbine? Why did your carriage crash?"

The fairy, which had been standing on the ground since emerging from the carriage, unfolded purple and green wings and few up to the Doctor's face. "Here is not a good place to talk. It is too open, too dangerous. Follow me."

And with that, the fairy flew off like a shot, leaving a light trail of purple dust behind her. The Doctor jumped up and began running after the trail of fairy dust. Sally stood up and tried to run, but momentarily tripped on her dresses. She wasn't use to wearing long skirts. They just weren't practical or stylish back home. Holding onto the skirt and lifting them to her knees, she was able to run. She was glad for the trainers she was wearing. She couldn't see the trail of purple dust, but she could see the Doctor and she ran after him.

The Doctor reached the grove of trees and ran into them. When Sally reached the spot where she had seen the Doctor go into the trees, she slowed her run down. She couldn't see him anywhere.

"Doctor," she called, "Doctor where are you?"

"Over here, Sally!" she heard him call back to her. She followed his voice further into the trees and found him standing in a small clearing. On the ground at his feet was a circle of mushrooms. As Sally drew near, the Doctor held out his arm. "Don't step into the circle, Sally."

"It's a fairy ring," Sally said in surprise. She had never seen one before and being a scientist, she had always found a good scientific answer to such anomalies as fairy rings. But here was one and standing in the middle were several fairies.

"Yes. The ring is the gateway to their kingdom. You and I cannot enter without harming ourselves, so we must be careful," the Doctor explained.

Columbine was sitting on a large mushroom. Two other fairies were bringing her a tray with several gold cups filled with a golden liquid. Columbine took one of the cups from the tray and took a sip. "Thank you Lady Rain, this is exactly what I needed. Please, take a cup to my rescuers."

Lady Rain unfolded her blue wings and flew first to the Doctor. She held the tray out and the Doctor took the tiny cup in his fingers. The fairy then flew to Sally and Sally took the other cup. She and the Doctor lifted the tiny cups to their lips. It was hardly enough liquid in them to wet their tongues, but its effect was immediate. It made Sally feel warm and happy. The Doctor smiled and thanked Lady Rain.

"That was wonderful," the Doctor said, returning the cup to the tray. "Thank you for sharing your nectar with us." Columbine smiled.

"Nectar?" Sally asked.

"Yes," the Doctor explained. "It's like tea for them; very calming. However for us it is a little different. It isn't alcohol, but you might feel a little giddy"

Sally smiled. "I already do, but in a nice way." She turned to the fairy, "Thank you." Sally put her cup back onto the tray.

"Now," said the Doctor, getting down to business, "What is going on? Oh! I almost forgot," the Doctor reached into his pocket and gently pulled the tiny horse out. It was still wrapped in his handkerchief. "I'm afraid he seems badly injured."

Columbine flew up to the Doctor's hand and looked at the horse. "My poor Sterling."

The horse moved a bit at the sound of its owner's voice and whinnied. Sally noticed for the first time that it was a winged horse. It's wings had been folded and were the exact color of his fur.

"Please place him into the ring," Columbine instructed. The Doctor unwrapped the horse and gently laid him in the center of the circle. A moment later another fairy popped up in the ring, right next to the horse. The fairy bent down and examined it.

"Do not worry Lady Columbine, Sterling will be healed." The fairy tossed some golden dust onto the horse and a moment later they had both disappeared.

Sally was more amazed with each passing moment. Things she never dreamed to be real were happening right before her. She looked at the Doctor, but he didn't seem so impressed and awestruck as Sally felt. It was as if he conversed with fairies all the time and he was all business.

"Now Columbine, please tell me what is going on," the Doctor implored.

"My carriage was attacked. Until recently, our society and life was quite normal. Things were as they have been for the last thousand years. Then, several moons ago, a new group of fairies arrived.

Lady Rain made a sound of disgust, interrupting Columbine's story. "Lady Rain, please," Columbine scolded.

My apologies, Lady Columbine," Lady Rain said, looking properly chastened.

"She is quite right to scoff, though," Columbine said. "They are fairy like, but they are not proper fairies. They call themselves Poikyo."

"Poikyo!" the Doctor cried. "How in the universe did they get here?"

"You know of the Poikyo?" Columbine asked.

"Well, yes, just a little bit. They live on the planet Bhafaigja. They are the fairies of their world," the Doctor said.

"You mean fairies are aliens?" Sally was astounded.

Columbine, Rain and the other fairy, which had been quiet up to this point all flew into Sally's face shouting at her.

"How dare she?" Columbine screamed.

"Wait, wait, wait," the Doctor said. He put an arm protectively across Sally's chest. Sally leaned back away from the angry fairies.

"Forgive me!" Sally said, "I did not think before I spoke. I meant no insult."

The three fairies backed away from Sally. They hovered for a moment, watching Sally with angry faces. Finally Columbine flew back to the circle of mushrooms and sat down on the biggest on. The two other fairies followed her. Sally took a deep breath of relief.

"Of course fairies are not aliens," the Doctor explained. "They are native to Earth, just as humans are. But, just as you and I look alike, despite being from two different planets and being two difference species, so are fairies and Poikyo. They are fairies of their worlds, similar in some ways, but very different in others."

Sally couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Doctor was from another planet? That explained a few things. Sally started to say something, but one look from the Doctor kept her quiet. Now wasn't the time to ask him about aliens. She added it to the mental list of questions she was coming up with for him to explain to her later. Sally nodded her head in understanding. "I see," she said. "So how did the Poikyo end up here?"

"That's a good question," the Doctor said. He was relieved she seemed to understand which questions were proper and which ones were not. Except for the one outburst, her scientific curiosity was more in charge than her human curiosity. The Doctor was only slightly familiar with the Poikyo. On their own planet, they are the creatures of stories and legends, like fairies on Earth. However, they were much more violent and aggressive than the troublemaking Earth fairies. They didn't belong on Earth and the Doctor couldn't understand how they had managed to leave their home planet.

"We don't know where they came from or how they got here," Columbine answered Sally's question. "All we know is that there has been nothing but trouble since they arrived."

"So the Poikyo arrived here several months ago and just began attacking you?" The Doctor asked.

"That's about the whole of it. We tried to talk to them, make friends with them, reason with them, but they would not cooperate. They began to cause trouble in the village, more so than we do. We make mischief," Columbine smiled, "but we are not mean to those who have caused us no harm. We do not destroy. There have been a few small fights and arguments with the Poikyo, but recently things have escalated. They threatened our queen. If they kill her, they will become our rulers and we their slaves. We cannot allow that, so today a plan was set into action to protect our queen. She has gone into hiding. In order to distract the Poikyo from our queen, several of us went out in the royal carriages today, each headed in a different direction."

"You set up a clever diversion," the Doctor said.

"Yes, and as suspected and as we hoped, the Poikyo followed me. They attacked my carriage," Columbine said. "I don't know what happened to the other carriages and if they experienced my fate."

"What about your queen?" Sally asked. "Did she make it safely into hiding?"

"I don't know. I assume so. If the Poikyo had her in their custody, we would know by now," Columbine said. She looked Lady Rain and the other fairy for an answer, but they both shook their head. They didn't know either.

"Yes, you're probably right. You would know if they had the queen." The Doctor rubbed his chin for a moment. His eyes were staring at one of the mushrooms in the ring, lost in thought. "I need to find the Poikyo and see if they need any help."

"You would give aid to our enemies?" Columbine shouted?

"I would not help them to harm you or capture your queen, Lady Columbine. However, if they are stranded here, I can help them to get home. I could take them away. Then they could return to their normal life and you to yours." The Doctor knew that an aggressive species like the Poikyo would only become more so if they were trapped in a place they didn't belong or want to be in. He needed to find the Poikyo and get them off the planet before an all out fairy war began. "Do you have any idea where the Poikyo are?"

"Not exactly. From what we can tell, they have made a nearby cave their home. At least, that is the direction most of their attacks have come from." Columbine answered.

"Then I guess that is where we need to go next," the Doctor said. He stood up. "Thank you, Lady Columbine for your hospitality. I hope we meet again soon."

Lady Columbine flew up to the Doctor's face. "Please Doctor, don't lead our enemies to us," she pleaded.

"I'll do my best," the Doctor said. He knew he could make no such promise to never do something or let something happen, but he would do everything he could to not bring harm to the fairies.

"Doctor," Columbine said, "there is an oak tree alone in the field north of here. Hanging from one of the lower limbs is a bell, disguised as an acorn. If you ring it, a fairy will appear. This way you can get a message to us without returning to a fairy ring. If our enemies are watching you, they will not learn the locations of the entrances to our kingdom. Remember Doctor, the oak tree to the north."

"I won't forget it," the Doctor bowed to the fairy, turned and left the clearing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sally followed the Doctor after a quick nod to the fairies. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Neither the fairies or the Doctor had spoken much to her. She didn't mind because she wasn't sure what to say to the fairies anyway. The Doctor had promised her the Pascaline and instead she was being introduced to fairies and alien fairies. And the Doctor had said something about being from another planet. She decided it was time to ask some questions she had thought of.

"Doctor?"

"Hmm? What? Oh, Sally," the Doctor seemed surprised to see her. "I'm sorry. I got thinking about the Poikyo and forgot, um, everything else." He wasn't going to admit he had forgotten about her after his visit with the fairies.

"I see. It's alright. May I ask you some questions while we walk?"

"Yes of course," the Doctor answered.

"We've been able to communicate very well with the locals. I don't know your education, but I know mine and I know that I cannot speak more than ten words in French. How is it we are talking to them and why do they sound like they are speaking English?"

The Doctor smiled, "An excellent question Sally. It's the TARDIS. It does all the translating for us."

"How is that possible when it is, well, where ever we left it and we are here?"

"Telepathy."

Sally scrunched her face, "Telepathy? That's not a very scientific answer."

"How about this, then, it is a highly advanced technology from your future."

"Don't get smart with me, Doctor," Sally said.

"Sorry," the Doctor said apologetically. He didn't mean to get snappy.

"It's alright. If the answer to that question is your time machine's telepathic, then I'll accept that. For now," she grinned at the Doctor and he gave her a mischievous half-smile in return.

"Next question Doctor. You said you are from another planet. Is this true?"

"It is," the Doctor answered.

"Is it one of the planets in our solar system?" Sally asked. She felt like she was playing a game of 20 questions with the Doctor.

"No. My home planet is in a different section of the universe."

"Will you tell me the name of your planet?" Sally asked.

"Gallifrey."

"Gallifrey," Sally repeated. "I like the sound of that name. So are you and your people human?"

"Human, like Earthlings? No, we're not, but we are, as you can see, humanoid. Outwardly, we look very much alike." The Doctor really hated explaining these things, but that was the hazard of taking on a new companion. Molly had never asked these questions, but there had never really been the time either. They had spent their entire time together running from the Daleks. There had been little time for talk. Thankfully, Sally didn't seem too worked up over the answers and was accepting them fairly well. It seemed to him that she was simply getting the answers now and she would mull the meanings around in her head before asking anymore.

"And these Poikyo are like fairies, but on another planet?" Sally asked.

"Yes," the Doctor answered.

Sally paused in her question asking for a few moments while they walked on, each step bringing them closer to a large group of rocks and boulders.

"Have you been to many planets, Doctor?"

"Yes."

"So then your TARDIS is more than just a time machine," Sally said.

"Right. It is a spaceship and time machine."

"And these other planets you've been to, are there humanoids and fairies on many of them?" Sally asked.

"Many of them, yes," the Doctor answered her. "There are even some planets where the fairies are the dominate species.

"Really? That's," Sally paused looking for the right words, "wonderfully fun to think about." She smiled.

The Doctor kept walking towards the group of rocks and he could even see a small cliff. Just before they reached the outer rocks that made up the rock formations, Sally popped one more question on him.

"Are mermaids real too?"

The Doctor stopped and looked at her. It was a highly unscientific question from Sally. "Of course mermaids are real. They can be found on many planets in the universe."

"Earth?"

"Yes, on Earth too." The Doctor answered.

Sally's eyes grew wide and a smile spread across her face. "I'm so glad. I loved mermaid stories as a child and hoped they were real. I'm glad to know they are."

The Doctor and Sally stood grinning at each other for a few moments. The Doctor knew the most important thing a scientist could do was keep a strong child-like imagination. Without an imagination, it is near impossible for a scientist to dream up new theories, new subjects to explore, new ways of doing things. It was easy to lose that imagination when your everyday was filled with mathematical calculations or mundane problems, and in Sally's case as director of the Ides Scientific Institute, she also had to deal with board meetings and budget problems. Not good for the imagination at all.

Nope, these fairies and finding out mermaids are real was probably just what Sally needed, the Doctor thought to himself. He hoped he was refueling the fire of her imagination so when she went back to the institute, her newly fed imagination would spur on many scientific breakthroughs for her.

All these thoughts flashed through the Doctor's brain in less than a moment of time. He returned his thoughts to the situation at hand. The Poikyo. They were headed for an all out fairy war and the Doctor knew that would not be pretty. More than one species could be wiped out in a situation like that. No, he was going to do his best to help both sides.

"Do you think the Poikyo are here?" Sally asked, looking up at the boulders and cliffs.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I believe that they are."

"So do we announce our arrival to them or do we just try and find them? If we try to find them, we might surprise them, which could be to our advantage, but it might make them more hostile and we might never get to explain our propose."

The Doctor was liking Sally more and more. She didn't just ask 'what now?' She had already thought up two scenarios and determined which course of action would be best. "More than likely," the Doctor said, "they have already spotted us and are watching from a distance. I think the best thing would be to acknowledge them and let them come to us."

"Well, you probably know best, Doctor. You seem to have diplomatic experience in dealing with other intelligent species."

The Doctor nodded. He looked at the rocks and saw an area that seemed most likely to have a cave. He climbed up into the boulders. Sally followed him.

"Hello Poikyo from the planet Bhafaigja. I am the Doctor. I seek conference with you. My companion and I wish to know if you are in trouble. Are you stranded here on Earth? I can help you, if you are."

The Doctor and Sally stood still on the rocks and waited. It was several minutes they stood in silence. Sally wondered if perhaps they had heard the Doctor at all. Perhaps they weren't in this rock area. The Doctor's finer senses picked up faint activity. Finally, two creatures approached the Doctor and Sally.

The two creatures were very fairy like in some respects. They were about the same size and flew with wings. However, these creatures were blue. Sally had not expected that. They both carried spears the length of their bodies. They looked quite fierce.

"Hello," the Doctor said. His voice was quiet and non-threatening, but confident.

"You know of our home planet?" one of them asked.

"Yes, I do. I've been there. Your forests are lovely there. I especially liked the blue Botham tree. It bore the most amazing fruit."

The two Poikyo looked at each other. One of them nodded. The other spoke, "Lay down your weapons. You are granted the privilege of meeting the queen, but you must be unarmed."

Sally carefully lifted her hands in front of her to show they were empty. "I carry no weapon," she said.

"Neither do I," said the Doctor, showing his hands in a similar fashion. "We are unarmed and at your mercy. Our wish is to help you."

"Follow us then," the two Poikyo spoke at the same time. They flew towards the rock cliff. There was a small opening in the cliff. The Poikyo few into it. The opening was big enough for the Doctor and Sally to fit through, but they would have to crawl.

"Is there room for us, once we are inside the cave?" the Doctor called into the opening.

"There is," came the reply.

Sally normally wasn't claustrophobic, but she wasn't comfortable with the idea of crawling into a cave without being able to see what was on the other side. She watched as the Doctor got down on all fours and crawled in. Sally followed. It was hard to climb through in her dress, but once she had made it to the other side, the Doctor took her by the hands and helped her up. Sally was amazed to find she was standing in an enormous cavern. Sally looked around and saw at first only the blue Poikyo, but as her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the cave, she began to notice the walls of the cave. Beautiful paintings of animals adorned the walls.

"Doctor," Sally whispered, "are those pre-historic cave markings?"

"Yes. Authentic, undiscovered and undisturbed."

"Incredible," Sally breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A Poikyo in rich purple clothing approached. "Your name please," he asked quietly.

"I'm The Doctor and this is Sally Armstrong."

The Poikyo turned around and faced the center of the cave. "Announcing The Doctor and Sally Armstrong!" he cried.

The two Poikyo with spears flanked the Doctor and Sally. They began to fly further into the cave. The Doctor understood and stepped forward, following the guards. Sally was one step behind the Doctor. They stopped when they were approached by three finely dressed Poikyo. The one in the middle was dressed in a fine white gown and the two on either side were dressed in similar gowns, but they were light blue in color. It was the Queen and her ladies in waiting.

"I am Queen Shai, ruler of the Poikyo."

The Doctor nodded his head, "Queen Shai, it is an honor to meet you."

The Queen lazily flew in a circle around the Doctor and Sally. They stood quite still. The Doctor knew better than to move suddenly in the presence of other unfamiliar species, especially their royalty. One wrong move would find him with a fierce small spear stuck unpleasantly into his flesh. So far Sally was showing similar common sense.

"They tell me you know our home planet," the Queen said as she finished her circle around her guests.

"I do," the Doctor said. "I visited there once, a long time ago."

"And you, female?" the Queen addressed Sally, "Have you been to our home?"

"No, your majesty," Sally said. She had never addressed a royal before and hoped her language was appropriate. "I am from Earth and have never left the planet."

"I see," the Queen said.

"You are far from home here on Earth," said the Doctor. "How is it you have come so far? Why did you leave Bhafaigja?"

The queen chuckled, "It has indeed been a long time since you were on Bhafaigja if you do not know why we left. But right now, I am the one asking questions and you are the ones giving the answers." She flew and stopped in front of the Doctor's face. She studied him for a moment before continuing. "You Doctor are not from Earth?"

"No, I'm from a planet in the constellation Kasterborous. You can see Kasterborous from Bhafaigja."

"Kasterborous? Then we are both a long way from home." the Queen said. "Doctor, many years ago, Bhafaigja was hit by a large meteor. It set off a chain reaction of events that destroyed our planet. Our kind was facing extinction."

"I am sorry to hear about your home," the Doctor said. "How did you end up here, on Earth?"

"We were in our final days. Some of the other species found ways to leave the planet. We begged they take us too, but we could find no one with passage enough for our species. We reached the end of our hope. Our homes and food had been destroyed. We found one creature with a space ship. He agreed to take us with him, to his home planet, but on one condition. Once the new planet was reached, he wanted us to use our power to erase his memory."

"What?" the Doctor cried out. "Why did he want that?"

"He said he had seen too much. His memories haunted him. We did not question. He was willing to help my people. I agreed to his terms. The whole population of the Poikyo went aboard his ship. True to his word, the man took us away. Unfortunately, the ship suffered some damage to his engines while leaving Bhafaigja's gravitational pull. In the end, it took us two of our years to make the journey. Half of our population died. We are all that is left."

"Half?" Sally exclaimed. "That's terrible."

"Indeed. We arrived here several weeks ago. We kept our promise and used the power of the Poikyo to erase the man's memory. He went away and we have not seen him since. Now, we are here. We are grateful to be alive and away from Bhafaigja, but now we are stuck in an unfamiliar place with hostile natives." The Queen snarled on the last words.

"Ah, yes, the local fairies. I wanted to talk to you about them," the Doctor began.

"You have been giving aid to them?" the Queen yelled.

"I spoke with them. I heard their side of the story."

"If you aid them, you are an enemy to us!" The whole of the Poikyo population yelled in response to their queen's pronouncement. They closed in on the Doctor and Sally.

"Now wait a moment," the Doctor said calmly, but with authority, "I am on no one's side. I am like you. I don't belong to this planet. I want to help you. But you must understand, I like this planet and its inhabitants. I do what I can to help them too."

"Why are the local fairies your enemy?" Sally asked. "What is it they have done?" Until now, Sally had been quietly watching. It was obvious to her that the Doctor had a great deal of experience in these matters and since he and the Poikyo were aliens to Earth, he would understand them best, so she had let him do all the talking.

"After arriving we searched for our new home. We were able to find this cave. We were performing a protection ceremony when they came and interrupted us. They disturbed the ceremony, entered my presence without permission and told us this cave is in their realm." The Queen was quite agitated now. The blue glow she emitted was growing bright, like a blue star.

"Queen Shai, they do not know your customs," the Doctor said, "and yes, this cave is probably in their realm,"

He was interrupted by the very angry Queen, "You take their side! You are an enemy!"

"Ouch!" the Doctor and Sally cried out at the same time. The guards that were on either side of them had jabbed their spears into the Doctor and Sally's arm. The spears didn't go deep, but had drawn blood from both of their victims.

"Now wait just a moment, Queen Shai!" the Doctor yelled. "You are on their planet. It is their customs that should be observed. I'm sure they didn't mean harm. They were only protecting their homes. Let me help you!" He felt a sharp spear poking at his neck. "I can help you. There are millions of worlds out there. I can take you to any of them."

"I will not lose the rest of my people on another space journey."

"My spaceship isn't like that. It would take almost no time at all and would be very safe," The Doctor said. That was mostly true. Most of the time he could get the TARDIS where he wanted it. Still the Poikyo and Sally didn't need to know his piloting track record.

"No!" the Queen shouted. "I have taken a liking to this place. The cave is a good home base. We prefer trees, but as soon as we conquer the fairies, we will have their forests as well. The village will provide us our entertainment and the occasional slave child we require. No Doctor, we will stay. We will wage war on the fairies, defeat them and make a very nice place for ourselves."

"It doesn't have to be this way," the Doctor pleaded. "You don't have to go to war. Let me help you find a new home."

"We have a new home," the Queen replied in a smug voice. She turned and flew away. Her blue glow showed the Doctor there were chamber and tunnels that led out of the main cavern. She began to enter one of the tunnels when she turned around and faced the Doctor and Sally again. "Lock them up." She smiled and disappeared into a side chamber.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Several more Poikyo with long spears appeared and began to poke the Doctor and Sally in the back.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch. Alright, we're moving," the Doctor said. "All you had to do was say please."

Sally smiled, despite their situation. The Doctor certainly hadn't lost his sense of humor. They were led to a corner of the cavern. Several Poikyo kept their spears pointed at them while another Poikyo flew over their heads. Sally felt something around her ankle. She looked down and saw a glowing rope tying itself around her ankle. Blue dust was sprinkled over their heads. Sally let out a gasp. Their bodies began to float and they floated right up to the ceiling of the cave. The guards that had been watching them seemed satisfied with their captives and flew away to join other groups of Poikyo in different parts of the cave.

"When they said lock us up, they really meant lock us up," the Doctor said. He looked down at the floor beneath his floating body. He reached down and tugged at the golden rope around his leg. After several tugs, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the rope. Nothing. He didn't have a setting for fairy dust. He released the rope with a heavy sigh.

"Enchanted rope?" Sally asked.

"Yes," the Doctor's voice was almost a deep growl.

"No chance of getting free from the enchanted rope?"

"No."

Sally sighed and looked around. The cave was simply amazing and the blue Poikyo that flew around inside the cave were fascinating to watch. If she hadn't been a captive, Sally was sure she would love this time in the cave. Exotic creatures and beautiful ancient paintings. Really, it was quite incredible.

The Doctor had been busy surveying his surroundings and the actions of the Poikyo. He heard Sally sigh. "Don't worry Sally, I'll get us out of this. I usually do."

"You usually do? What, Doctor, do you often get taken captive by other creatures?" Sally asked him.

"Um, I've been in this kind of situation a few times before," the Doctor said. A few hundred times, he thought to himself. "But I can't say I've ever been held hostage by floating in the air. Still, not to worry. I'll figure something out."

Sally began to giggle quietly. The Doctor gave her a disapproving look. "Sally, there is nothing to laugh about."

"I know, Doctor, I know," Sally did her best to suppress her smile, "but look at us. We're flying, just like in the story book _Peter Pan_. They sprinkled us with fairy dust and now we can fly. If only we didn't have these awful ropes on us, we could fly away. Perhaps to Neverland." Sally lifted her arms into the air, like she was trying to fly away. She giggled again.

The Doctor smiled, in spite of himself. It really was a brilliant feeling. "You're right, Sally. This really is amazing."

The Poikyo in the cave were distracted from their various activities by their two prisoners laughing in the corner. Upon realizing they were having too much fun, they quieted down and began thinking through their situation.

"I can't think of one way to get out of here," Sally said looking around. "Well, that's not true. I can think of many ways to get out, but not one good way. We're at the back of a cave that is filled with our captors. There is only one way out of this place and we have to crawl through that."

The Doctor nodded, "Yep," he said. They floated in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. The Doctor absent-mindedly rubbed his arm. It was several moments before he realized why his he was rubbing at his arm. The small stab wound from the Poikyo's spear was aching. He looked over at Sally. He saw the dried blood on the sleeve of her dress. "Is your arm alright?"

Sally looked down at her arm. "Yeah, it's fine. Just an unpleasant poke." She rubbed at the small wound. "Doctor, these two societies, the fairies and the Poikyo, are ruled by queens."

"Yes," he said, "They are a female dominated society."

"Do they have kings?" Sally asked.

The Doctor shook his head, "No, the queens have mates, but they are not kings."

"I'm surprised they have spoken more to you and not to me," Sally said thoughtfully. "In such a society, I would have thought they would have spoken to me more. I'm not complaining, I wouldn't know what to say, but I'm still surprised."

"Frankly, so am I." The Doctor looked around at the Poikyo. There were more of them than before. They continued to float in silence. Time slowly passed. The Doctor's time sense told him they had been floating there for three hours. It would be twilight outside.

Sally started nodding off, but they quickly learned that as soon as she fell asleep, she lost her ability to float and would fall to the ground. Twice the Doctor had grabbed her after she nodded off and dropped from the ceiling. There was no way of knowing how long they would be there and no way to get down to the floor aside from falling asleep. Sally was tired. The Doctor suggested that she climb onto his back and lay her back on his. He acted as a floating bed for her. They both felt quite silly and Sally giggled again at the absurdness of the situation, but she fell asleep fairly quickly. The Doctor felt the moment she slipped into sleep as the weight of her body became heavy on his. He floated as carefully as he could, trying hard not to wake her. She slept for only about half an hour, but it was enough for her, for now.

"Thanks Doctor." Sally yawned. She had learned after many late study nights at university and many more late nights working on her research at the institute, that a short cat nap was sometimes all she needed to keep going for a long time. She started to shiver. The cave was getting cold in the damp night air.

"Cold?" the Doctor asked her.

"A bit, yes."

The Doctor removed his jacket and placed it on Sally's shoulders.

"Thank you," she said.

The Doctor had been watching the activity in the cave. The movement of the Poikyo had been increasing for the last hour. They seemed to be anxious. He also noticed that he and Sally had been slowly dropping in elevation from the ceiling. He assumed the fairy dust was wearing off. Just so long as it let off gradually and not all of the sudden, causing them to plunge to the rocky floor below.

"Doctor, something's going to happen soon, isn't it?"

"Yes, I believe so. Listen, Sally," the Doctor turned and looked her in the face. His expression was earnest. "If once we get out of here, and you can escape, I want you to get back to the TARDIS. Stay there and wait for me. Do you think you can find your way back?"

"Maybe. Yes, I think so. I can if I can find the road, but Doctor, it's dark outside."

The Doctor pulled a key out of a pocket and pressed it into Sally's hand. "Here is a key to the TARDIS. If we get separated and you can get away, do it. Go to the TARDIS. I'll find you there."

"But Doctor, isn't there anything I can do to help?" Sally asked. She was feeling anxious.

"No. I don't know, maybe, but Sally," he sighed, "this isn't what I wanted to happen when I brought you here. I want you to be safe and the safest place is the TARDIS. Please Sally, stay safe."

Sally nodded. "I'll do it Doctor, but I don't understand. Why are you so concerned about me? Why does it matter so much to you that I'm safe that you're willing to risk your life to save mine?"

The Doctor sighed. He took Sally's hands into his own. "Sally, remember when I said that I met you, eight months into your future?" Sally nodded. "I saw you die, Sally."

Sally gasped, "You mean I die in eight months?" Sally started to shake. If she could have sat down, she would. As it was, she kept floating and shaking.

"No, Sally! Listen to me, this is hard to explain and harder to understand if you've never done time traveling before. I met you in an alternate reality. In that version of reality, you died, but my friend Molly and I were able to change the course of events. That reality ceased to exist. It is gone and you will not be killed in eight months by the blaster of a Dalek."

"A what? Wait Doctor, if reality changed, why do you remember it?" Sally was curious despite finding out that he had seen her die.

"I remember it because I was a part of the events that changed it all. You will not die next year, but for me, the last time I saw you, you died. I've got that memory and it haunts me. But, you're alive now and I want you to stay that way. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, again."

Sally felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Here was the Doctor, a complete stranger, really, and yet he was concerned for her safety. His level of emotion surprised her. She saw hurt in his blue eyes and she knew she didn't want to cause him any more hurt.

Sally chuckled lightly, "You stay safe too. If anything happens to you, I'm stuck here in 17th century France for the rest of my life. I might change the course of history by bringing computers to the world 200 years too early."

The Doctor smiled and squeezed her hands.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A Poikyo guard flew over to his captives. "Put your feet down," he instructed.

The Doctor obeyed and positioned his floating body so his feet were underneath him. Sally saw what he did and followed his example. The guard snapped his tiny fingers and the Doctor and Sally fell to the ground. The ability to fly was gone. They were both on their hands and knees.

"Now get up," the guard commanded. Several other Poikyos came to the Doctor and Sally and positioned themselves around them.

Sally struggled to stand. "I feel so heavy."

"We've been weightless for many hours. It will take some time for our bodies to readjust to gravity." The Doctor was having a hard time standing too.

"Follow me," the guard said. It was hard to walk, but they made it to the entrance of the cave. "You will climb through. Don't get any funny ideas about escaping once you get to the other side of the cave. A guard will be waiting for you."

The Doctor crawled through the opening in the rocks. The night was dark, except for the blue glow of the Poikyo. With all of them together, it was like the light of a full moon. Sally crawled through the opening. The Doctor bent down to take Sally by the arms and help her stand. His body had adjusted quickly to the gravity changed and the heavy effect was gone for him, but Sally still struggled. She removed his jacket and give it back to him.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it," she said.

The Doctor slipped the jacket back on and felt the pockets. He still had his sonic screwdriver.

The parade of Poikyo were flying down the rocks and onto the field below. The Doctor kept a firm grip on Sally, helping her climb down the rocks.

"How long will it take my body to readjust to gravity, Doctor?" She was breathing hard.

"I'm not sure." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her. "I'd say half an hour."

"Oh," Sally groaned as she climbed off the last rock and onto flat ground. "Thanks," she said. "I can manage now. I might be slow, but I can walk."

The Doctor let go of her, but kept close by. He didn't want her to fall in the dark. "Where are we going?" he asked the Poikyo guard.

"To war, Doctor!"

"You don't have to do this," the Doctor said.

The guard said nothing and they went on, down the field towards to grove of trees where the fairies lived.

"Do you even know where you are going? Do you know where the fairies are?" he asked the guard.

"Why Doctor? Are you going to help us find them?" the guard taunted him.

"No, I will not aid in your war," the Doctor's voice growled.

"Your lack of aid is of no importance to us. We know where the fairies are," said the guard.

The Doctor looked around him, searching for any opportunity of getting Sally a way to escape. They were not entering the forest the same way the Doctor had come from when he left the fairies earlier in the afternoon. They were coming to the forest from the north. As the Doctor surveyed his surroundings, he saw a tree alone in the field. It was a huge, old tree. An oak tree. The oak tree that the fairies told him of. They had told him there was a bell on the tree. Ring the bell and a fairy would appear. If he could ring the bell, then the fairies would see the advancing party of Poikyo headed towards their forest. The Poikyo were going to walk past the tree, but not within reach of the branches. As they got as near to the tree as they would, the Doctor leaned in close to Sally and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry." Then he stuck his food under her, causing her to fall. He quickly bend down to her, put his hands on her shoulders and pushed on them, preventing her from getting up.

"Guard, please, my companion is tired. Can she not rest for a moment?" The Doctor called out. He looked at Sally, who was about to protest, and winked. Sally understood and played along.

"I'm so exhausted," she moaned. "I can't walk another step."

"Bring the female some water!" the guard called out.

The Doctor took the moment of the Poikyo's distraction to fetch Sally some water, and he quickly pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He pointed it at the three and pressed the button. At the same moment, he whispered to Sally, "Cry out!"

Sally did, "Oh, I'm too tired!" Her yell masked the sound of a tinkling bell and forced the Poikyo's attention to her. They did not see the flash of light in the branches of the tree as a fairy appeared.

The Doctor saw the light disappear up into the higher branches of the tree. He hoped the fairy understood what was going on. He turned his attention back to Sally. They had brought her a small pouch of water. She took it from them and drank.

"Now get up and walk," the guard said when Sally had finished her drink.

"Please," said the Doctor, "she is tired and has nothing to do with your war. Let her stay here at the tree and rest."

"No!" the guard snapped.

"There has to be a better way than going to war with the fairies," the Doctor said rather loudly. He hoped the fairy in the tree was listening.

"Quiet! We are going to war. Now walk!" the guard yelled.

The Doctor helped Sally to her feet and they both felt the sharp jabs of spears in their backs.

"Hey! No need for that!" Sally said, "I'm going."

The march continued. The Doctor leaned into Sally, "I hope I didn't hurt you when I tripped you," he whispered.

"Not at all, Doctor. I was surprised, but honestly, I needed the little break and water. It did me good. Do you think the fairy you summoned understood?"

"You knew what I was doing?"

"It took me a moment, but when I heard your scanner and you telling me to yell, I heard at the same moment a bell. I guessed what you were up to." Sally smiled at the Doctor. In the faint light, she could see he was smiling too.

"You're brilliant," he whispered.

"Quiet!" one of the back guards demanded. Sally and the Doctor stopped their whisperings, for the moment. They were getting quite near the forest now.

"A fairy war," Sally whispered, "what is that going to be like?"

"I don't know," the Doctor answered, "but war, in any form, isn't pretty. This could easily get messy. Keep on your guard and be very careful." He watched everything that was going on around him. Poikyo were disappearing in groups behind the trees. A strategy was being set up.

Suddenly, off to the Doctor's right, was a loud bang and a blue flash. The Doctor could hear shouting, but he couldn't make out what was being said. Several moments of silence fell and the Doctor strained his senses trying to figure out what was going on. A Poikyo flew from behind one tree, shot past the Doctor and Sally and disappeared behind another tree.

"How are you doing?" he whispered to Sally.

"You're joking right? Well, I'm nervous, fascinated, tired and scared of being in the middle of a war between two species of fairies," Sally spoke quickly.

"Have you readjusted to gravity yet?"

"Oh that? Yes, I have."

"Good, now Sally, remember what I said. If you see a moment you can get away or if I tell you to run, then go. Find your way back to the oak tree and then the TARDIS."

Sally looked at the Doctor, he was looking in all directions trying to keep tabs on everything that was going on. "Doctor, if I can escape, why don't you just come with me? We can both escape."

He turned and looked right at her with his intense blue eyes. "I have to try and stop this. I don't want to see either species wiped out and I hate to think what a war like this could do to the local population of humans. No Sally, I have to try and stop them, but I want you to be safe. Please just do what I've asked. Will you?"

Sally nodded. "Yes Doctor."

"Good," he said. "Ouch!" he felt a sharp spear at his neck.

"Not another word, you two," his guard said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_"Ouch!" The Doctor felt a sharp spear at his neck._

_"Not another word, you two," his guard said._

The Doctor rubbed his neck with his hand. He watched as a procession approached the area where he and Sally stood. Five of the local wood fairies were flying towards him. One of them held a white truce flag. He recognized two of the fairies, Lady Columbine and Lady Rain. It was obvious that the fairy in the middle of the group was the Queen. She was dressed in a most ornate gown that was made of flowers and sparkled like diamonds in moonlight. A large guard of Poikyo surrounded the fairy queen and her entourage. She stopped when she saw the Doctor and Sally.

From behind the Doctor, the Poikyo queen and her group appeared and flew to meet the fairy queen. For several moments, the two queens stared at each other, seemingly sizing each other up.

"Well, well, Queen Oona, you decided to come out of hiding." Queen Shai of the Poikyo said.

"Queen Shai, I have come to you, in peace. I wish for peace between our fai. Can we not reach an agreement of some sort?"

"And just what do you propose, Queen Oona?" Shai asked. Her words were polite, but her tone was anything but.

"I propose a compromise. We could help you search for a new forest to live. This land is large and we only occupy a part of it. There is a very lard land mass to the south called Spain. It has very little fairy population. You could go there. We could help you set up a new home."

"In exchanged for what Oona? So that we owe you a life debt of service?" Queen Shai spat.

"Of course not. The exchange is you leave us alone. Let us live our lives here in this forest as we have for hundreds of generations."

The Doctor could see that Queen Oona was getting nervous.

"Well, that is a lovely idea," Queen Shai's voice dripped with sarcasm, "but I have become rather fond of this area. I have no wish to leave it. However, I do like your idea of inhabiting that new area, what did you call it? Spain? I think that after we have defeated you and our population has had a chance to grow, we will spread our civilization to Spain." She sneered at the fairies.

The Poikyo shouted their agreement. The Doctor knew they were a more aggressive species and would not give into talk and compromise, as they had already showed him with his offer to help. He admired Queen Oona, though. Attempting peace and compromise before war. He felt Sally shift next to him. She was trying to move away from her guard, who was distracted by the meeting of the two queens. Her movements were slight and slow, but she was doing it.

"Queen Shai, I beg of you, consider my offer," Oona pleaded.

The Doctor took a large step forward, "Or consider mine," he said loudly to the group. All fairy heads turned to him. Sally stopped and held still. "I can take you Poikyo to a whole new planet. You wouldn't have to share with anyone!"

"Doctor," Queen Shai flew to him, "I've already told you, no. We have a new planet. All we have to do is clean it up a bit and get rid of the locals." With that, the queen shot something blue from her hand. To Sally it looked like a blue comet. It went right to the fairies, but Queen Oona held up her hand and the blue streak bounced away, like there was an invisible shield.

"Queen Shai, I've tried to be reasonable, but you just attacked us while we were under a white truce flag. Now you will pay the penalty." Queen Oona shot a stream of pink at the Poikyo queen. In that moment, a thousand things happened. Hundreds of fairies appeared from behind trees. Poikyo shot off in every direction. Lights of every color shot out in all directions. The Doctor and Sally dropped to the ground.

"Come on!" the Doctor yelled at Sally. He started to crawl as fast as he could to a fallen tree. Sally followed him and flopped on her stomach next to him. "Go Sally! Get out of here!"

"Doctor, you have to come with me. The war has started. There is nothing we can do!"

A purple streak shot past Sally's head. She screamed and they both ducked. The Doctor's face was pressed against the forest floor, just inches from Sally's face. "I have to try. No go Sally. Go now!"

Sally got up on her hands and knees and took off crawling. She ducked behind a group of trees and looked back. The Doctor was on his hands and knees and crawling off towards the battle. She looked around her. There were no fairies as far as she could see. She stood up and began to run. It was hard to see, in the dark of the night. More than once she tripped over branches, got her dress caught in a thorn bush, and had several colored fairy comets wiz past her head.

As last she reached the edge of the wood. She stopped to look around and get her bearings. She didn't see anything familiar. It was pitch dark in the French countryside. Sally decided to move away from the trees. She hoped that getting out in the open would at least show her light if there was a nearby city. She ran as fast as she could away from the trees. She ran until she was out of breath and found herself next to a stone wall. She sat down on it, breathing heavily. Off in the distance, she could see the forest and the flashes of light deep within the trees. She hoped the Doctor was alright.

There was no moon and Sally could see no lights. She didn't know what to do. She had no bearings and no light. She couldn't see the lone oak tree. She decided her only choice was to follow the wall. Perhaps it would lead to the road or a home. Sally was exhausted. How many hours had it been since she got up from her bed and gone to work at the institute? She didn't know. Too many. It was hard to keep an even footing as she walked on in the dark and she tripped and fell several times. Once in a while she would sit on the wall and listen. She heard animals, mostly sheep and birds, but some noises sounded more wild to her. As a London girl, she was use to city noises and lights. This pitch black countryside was unnerving. If she hadn't been so tired, she would have broken out into a run.

It had been a long, long walk by the time she finally saw a house. There were no lights shining in the windows. Sally went up to the house and pounded on the heavy wooden door. After several moments, the door opened slightly and Sally saw a man in a long white sleeping gown and hat staring out at her. He held out a candle to see who the visitor was.

"Good sir," Sally said, "I've lost my way."

The door opened wider and Sally saw a woman standing next to the man. "Come in and rest," the woman said.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm going to have to say no. I just need to know some directions. There is no moon and I've very turned around."

The man stepped out of the stone cottage and took a few steps away from the house. "That direction is east and that way is north." He pointed at the various directions. Sally was still unsure where she was.

"I'm looking for a single oak tree in the pastures or the road to the village," Sally explained.

The man chuckled. "Well, those aren't anywhere near each other. To find the oak tree, you follow this wall for three kilometers and turn east. But the road to the village is just half a kilometer to the south here. Find the road, turn left and it will lead you to the village."

"Thank you, I'll go that way," Sally started off.

"Wait mademoiselle, why don't you stay here for the night and head out when it is morning? It isn't safe to be out at night." The man called to her.

Sally was tempted. She was so tired. She could find the TARDIS tomorrow. But, no, she had promised the Doctor she would go straight to the TARDIS. "That is very kind, but I really must go. Thank you sir, for your kindness."

Sally turned and left. She headed the direction the man pointed. Finally the road came into view, but as Sally got close to the road, she stepped in a hole in the ground and fell. Her ankle hurt. Gingerly she moved her foot. She didn't think anything was broken. Probably a sprain. Sally sat in the grass and rubbed her leg. Tears welled up and fell down her cheeks.

She knew she couldn't stay there. The only option was to keep moving. She pulled off her green over tunic and started to tear it into strips. She tightly wrapped her ankle. It felt a little better. Several feet away she saw a large stick. Sally crawled over to the stick and used it as a cane. Her ankle hurt, but the wrappings and cane made it possible for her to reach the road.

Sally looked up and down the road. The man had told her to go left towards the village. Sally took out the TARDIS key that she had stuck into the pocket of her petticoat. It felt warm in her hand. She wondered how far away from the TARDIS she was. Sally was exhausted and her leg was really hurting. She put the key back into her pocket. There was nothing else to do, Sally turned left and began hobbling down the road.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

As soon as Sally crawled away, the Doctor began to crawl in the opposite direction, straight to the heart of the battle. He had to find Lady Columbine. So far, she had been the kindest to him and the most reasonable to talk to. Perhaps he could do something to help her.

He felt pain in his leg as a blast of orange light grazed it, singeing his pants. It wasn't bad, but he didn't want that to happen again.

"Columbine!" he shouted. The next thing he knew, a blue Poikyo was in his face. He recognized her as one of Queen Shai's ladies-in-waiting.

"Shh, Doctor," she looked around, grabbed the Doctor's jacket lapel and pulled him over to a near-by tree. "Doctor, can you really take us away from here?"

The Doctor was surprised by her question, but he recovered from the surprised and answered her, "Yes, I can."

"Would you, though? Would you be willing to take us, after we imprisoned you?"

"Of course," he answered. "No harm would come to any of you. I would give you my protection and take you some where safe."

"Thank you," the Poikyo said before she disappeared, leaving a blue train of dust behind her.

Moments later another light appeared in the Doctor's face. This time the light was purple.

"Columbine!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"Yes, Doctor. Our queen is injured. If the Poikyo will not leave, would you consider taking us away? I would rather see the Fai live on another planet than become slaves of the Poikyo or worse, dead."

"Yes, I could take you away," the Doctor said. The two queens were stubborn, but each had ladies-in-waiting who were willing to do what was best for their people. The Doctor admired the two fairies who had come to him. Columbine disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving the Doctor to sit and wonder what was coming next.

In a flash of light, two fairies and two Poikyo, appeared at the same time in front of the Doctor. They were as surprised to see each other as he was to see all of them. In an instant, both sides took on a fighting stance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The Doctor shouted. He stuck his hand out in between the two parties. "We can work this out. No one will attack each other while you are here with me. Understood?"

The four fairies nodded in agreement. The Doctor first looked at the Poikyo. "I'm sorry, my ladies, but I don't know your names."

"I am Bai and this is Meorka. We are two of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting."

"I am Columbine and this is Rain," Columbine introduced herself to the Poikyo. "We don't want to fight. We are here to ask the Doctor for help."

"That is what Meorka and I are here for, too. Our people have suffered great losses over the last several years. I don't want to see more of us die."

The two groups of fairies turned to each other and began to talk. The Doctor stood by, listening, ready to mediate in their negotiations. Another Poikyo appeared and bowed to Bai and Meorka. "My ladies, the queen has died."

Everyone stopped talking to look at the messenger.

Meorka turned back to look at Bai. "If this is true, Bai, then you are queen."

Bai considered for a moment what had just happened. The welfare of the Poikyo had been placed on her shoulders. "I want this war stopped. Columbine, can you stop your people from fighting?"

"Yes, I can," Columbine answered.

From her hand, Columbine shot a white light into the clearing. It burst like a firework and took the shape of a daisy. Bai did something similar, except her blue light burst into a blue and red star shaped flower, native to her home world. Immediately the forest grew silent. Bai, Meorka, Columbine and Rain flew together into the clearing. They looked at each other's signs that floated in the air above them.

"Our ways are more similar than we've cared to realize, I think," Meorka said.

Fairies came out of the forest, into the clearing and gathered together under the daisy. Poikyo did the same, but grouped together under the star-shaped flower. The Doctor stood near-by watching the two groups. He waited. This needed to be done by them.

Many of the fairies and Poikyo were looking worse for the wear. Most all of them had injuries of some sorts. Some leaned against each other for support. Others carried their wounded who could no longer fly. Each group looked at the other suspiciously.

Columbine was the first to speak, "Fairies and Poikyo! We have fought, we have each loss many and no one has won. Our queen is injured and theirs has died." At this pronouncement, there was a great deal of shouting and talk among the groups. Columbine raised her hands to call the groups to silence.

"Under the laws of the Poikyo, when the queen has no heiress, the crown passes to her first lady-in-waiting, Lady Bai. Queen Bai is our new ruler," Meorka announced.

"Queen Bai and I have talked. We don't want to see more of our people killed," Columbine said.

Bai spoke, "As Queen of the Poikyo, I declare this war is over. The Doctor here, has offered us safe passage to a new world. I have accepted it. We will go with the Doctor. In my observations of the Fairies since we arrived on this world, I have seen many similarities. We are very much alike, the Poikyo and the Fairies."

From behind the group of fairies, a winged horse cut a path through and to the center of the groups. Queen Oona was being pulled on a stretcher by her horse. It hovered in the middle. "Lady Columbine and Queen Bai, you are much better rulers to our peoples that Queen Shai and I ever were. Because of your boldness and humility, you have stopped this terrible war and have brought us together. Thank you."

Meorka approached the injured queen. "Your majesty, I am Lady Meorka. If you will grant it, I would like to stay here with you and your people. I want to live among you and be an ambassador for the Poikyo."

"Granted Lady Meorka, with all my heart," Queen Oona said. A great cheer went up among the two groups.

"And Queen Bai, I would like to go with you," Lady Columbine said, bowing to her new friend.

"Then you shall. I would be most honored to have you by my side." Queen Bai said.

The Doctor smiled. He lived for this kind of thing: peace. He wished more rulers could be as level headed as these two queens. He knew exactly what planet he would take the Poikyo to. A lovely planet called Lisi; forested, few inhabitants and a mild climate.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The Doctor left the meeting with a promise to return with his spaceship. He headed out of the forest. The night was still dark. When he reached the edge of the woods, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pressed the button and waved it in the air. It beeped erratically until it locked onto the TARDIS's location. He started walking, whistling happily as he went. It had been rough, but everything was working out. He'd get his TARDIS, pick up the Poikyo, take them to Lisi and then he's bring Sally back to see the Pascaline. He felt bad their little outing had taken such a dramatic turn, but he intended to keep his promise to her.

He hoped Sally had found her way back to the TARDIS alright. An uneasy feeling began to form in his stomach. He picked up his pace, deciding that he needed to get back to the TARDIS as quickly as possible.

The sky was turning pink in the early morning hours by the time he arrived back to the TARDIS. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door.

"Sally?" he called. There was no answer. He ran farther into the console room. "Sally!" he yelled again. Nothing. He looked around. Everything looked exactly as he had left it. Sally never made it back.

The Doctor ran to the door and opened it, stepping back out into the French countryside. "Sally!" he desperately called out. He ran down to the road and looked around. "Please, please" he whispered to himself, "let Sally be alright." He saw a ways up the road what looked like a muddy pile of clothes lying in the ditch alongside the road.

"Sally!" the Doctor called again, running to her. She moved when he reached her. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She was alive, but shivering with cold in the morning dew. He quickly slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around Sally's back and shoulders. With his help, she turned over and rested her back against his chest. She smiled at him. He smiled back in surprise.

"Sorry I didn't make it back to the TARDIS before morning. I took the scenic route," Sally said, her eyes twinkled.

In his relief, the Doctor laughed. "I guess you must have."

Sally pulled the Doctor's jacket closer around her. Her throat was dry and she coughed a little. The Doctor reached his hand down into one of the pockets of his jacket and pulled out a pouch filled with water. He handed it to her and she eagerly drank from it.

"Careful now, not too much, yet," the Doctor said. "Can you walk?"

Sally shook her head. "I don't think I can do another step. I sprained my ankle." She pulled up her skirt to show him her leg wrapped in the green over tunic. "I walked on it last night for a long time, but I can't now. It hurts too much."

He moved around to her leg and gently began to unwrap the cloth from it. Sally clenched her jaw. It hurt. She gave an involuntary squeak when he felt her ankle It was swollen and hot. "It's not broken, but I need to get you back to the TARDIS sick bay." He reached into another pocket of his jacket and pulled out what looked like a syringe.

Sally gasped, "Please no needles, Doctor. I can't stand needles."

"No need for needles," he chuckled at his own joke. "Need for needles. I like that. No, there is no needles involved here. Technology from your future, remember?" He smiled and placed the device against Sally's leg. Sally squeezed her eyes shut. She felt on her leg what seemed like a burst of warm air against her skin. She opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor. He was smiling and putting the device back into his pocket.

"That's it?" she asked.

"That's it," he said. "How does your leg feel now?"

"Better. It still hurts, but not nearly as much. Thank you. How did you pull that thing and a pouch of water out of your pockets? I'm wearing your jacket, but I don't feel those things in the pockets."

"The pockets are like the TARDIS, bigger on the inside," he smiled a mischievous half grin at her. "Now, come on." He stooped down to pick her up.

"Doctor, you can't carry me all the way back to the TARDIS."

"Sure I can. I'm stronger than I look. I've carried injured girls before." He picked Sally up quite easily. She put her arms around his neck. "See, this isn't so bad. Once, I was visiting a planet and my companion, her name was Peri, was dying from a terrible toxin. She was unconscious and I carried her for a long time. The thing was, was that I was also dying from the same toxin and there were hot mud bursts going on all around me. So, this is much better. You're not dying, I'm not dying and there is no natural disaster going on around us." He smiled.

"So, did you save the girl?" Sally teasingly asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"If only we had some fairy dust," Sally said, "then you wouldn't have to carry me at all. I could just fly back." The TARDIS was coming into view. "I almost made it to the TARDIS, didn't I?" Sally asked.

"Yes, you got very close. Do you still have the key I gave you?" The Doctor held Sally as she fished the key from her pocket and unlocked the door with a click. The Doctor carried her into the TARDIS and down one of the corridors. He turned into a room that looked like a doctor's examination room and he gently placed her on the table. He picked up a scanner and held it over Sally's leg. "Good news. Not broken."

The Doctor opened a drawer and took out some white dressing. "Don't worry, we'll soon have you fixed up." He wrapped her foot and ankle. He did a much better job than she had with her tunic.

"Sorry about the dress, Doctor," Sally said.

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"This dress, it belongs to you and I've shredded part of it and have completely covered the rest with mud."

The Doctor laughed. "No worries Sally, really." He finished wrapping her foot. "Now, I have a little job to do and then you can shower and change clothes. Alright?"

Sally nodded.

"Now off to the console room." He pulled up a wheelchair. "Hop in!" he said cheerfully.

"Doctor, I'm not hurt that bad. I'm sure I can walk on it."

"Don't be silly. Get in the wheelchair and enjoy rolling through the TARDIS corridors. Think of it as flying while sitting down." He helped Sally off the table and into the wheelchair. He turned it around and pushed it out the door. He started to run down the hall of the TARDIS. Sally cried out in delight, closed her eyes and imagined herself flying. By the time they reached the control room, they were both laughing.

He parked her near his favorite reading chair and went to the console.

"Doctor," Sally cried out, suddenly remembering why she had been out wandering the French countryside on her own at night. "What happened with the fairies and the Poikyo?"

"Peace Sally! They made peace. We are on our way to pick up the Poikyo. They have agreed to go to another planet and I have the perfect one picked out for them."

The Doctor set about working at the console, flipping switches and turning knobs. Sally watched him. She still had his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. It was warm and smelled nice. The blue bars in the central column began to move up and down. She watched the column. It was humming hypnotically. Sally's eyes drooped and she fell fast asleep.

The Doctor was starting to tell her the story about what had happened in the forest with the fairies and Poikyo when he looked at her. He was surprised to see her asleep in the wheelchair. They had only run down the corridor a few minutes before. He went to one of the chairs in the console room and picked up a pillow. He tucked it under Sally's head. The TARDIS materialized at the wood's edge. He stepped out and went into the forest. The Poikyo were waiting for him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Sally, Sally, wake up."

Sally's eyes opened. Standing in front of her was the Doctor, his blue eyes twinkled and his grin was ear to ear. "Ah, Sally! Hello," he said excitedly. "I've got some amazing things to show you."

Sally blinked her eyes several times. It took her a few moments to wake up and remember where she was. She was still sitting in the wheelchair. All around the room, Sally saw the Poikyo. They were all watching her and Sally started to squirm uncomfortably in her chair.

"Hello Sally. I'm glad to see you awake and well. I am Queen Bai, of the Poikyo and I wish to apologize on behalf of my people for our treatment towards you in the cave."

"Queen Bai?" Sally asked. "You aren't the queen I met."

"No, I'm not. Our queen was killed in the battle and I am the new queen."

"My apologies and my condolences," Sally said. She wasn't sure she meant it and she wasn't sure it was the appropriate thing to say, but her head was feeling very fuzzy.

"Accepted," the queen said very matter-of-factly, "and do you accept our apologies?"

"Yes, of course I do," Sally said, "and really, it wasn't such a bad way to be captured. I enjoyed the sensation of floating in the air."

Queen Bai laughed and when she did it sounded like tiny silver bells, "I have never heard of anyone saying anything like that before." She flew up to Sally's face. "Would you like to fly again, but this time, no enchanted rope around you foot?"

"May I?" Sally asked.

Queen Bai flew over Sally's head. One of her ladies-in-waiting flew over the Doctor's head. They started to sprinkle blue dust over their heads and the next thing Sally and they Doctor knew was they were floating in the air in the console room.

Sally looked at the Doctor and laughed, "Bet you can't catch me, Doctor!" She threw out her arms and her body moved forward. She flew to the other side of the console's time rotor. She laughed as the Doctor tried to catch her. They clumsily flew about the room, laughing loudly. The Poikyo were all laughing too and they did their best to stay out of the way of the two large humanoids trying to fly. After several moments, Sally seemed to understand how to control herself as she flew. She dashed down the corridor and the Doctor followed.

When he caught up with her, he took her hand and held it. "Come with me," he said and he pulled her as he flew down several more corridors. He arrived at a door, opened it and they flew in together.

Sally's breath was blown away, "Butterflies!"

"Yes," he smiled at her, "Haven't you ever wanted to fly with butterflies?"

Hand in hand they flew to the top of the room and slowly floated around, looking at the butterflies that flew all around them.

"I feel like Wendy and you're Peter Pan with all your fairy friends and you are showing me all the wonders of Neverland." Sally said.

"Yes, Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up and fights off the bad guys. I think we have a lot in common," the Doctor thoughtfully said.

"Is he real, Doctor?" Sally asked. "You've told me mermaids are real and I've seen firsthand that fairies are real, so is Peter Pan real?"

The Doctor smiled, "That, my dear, is not for you to know. There are some questions best left unanswered and some magic that should never be understood. If I told you whether he was real or not, it would take away that magic and I would never want to take that from you." The floated in silence for a few more moments. Sally watched the butterflies. "Ready to go back to the console room? I think the Poikyo are ready to go to their new home."

Sally nodded. The left the butterfly room and flew back to the console room. The Doctor helped Sally position herself near the wheelchair. "Now, when they release us, try to land on your good foot. We don't need to injure that ankle again."

"I had almost forgotten. Being weightless sure makes you forget about sprained ankles." Sally said. The Doctor positioned himself next to her and held onto her arm.

"Ready?" Queen Bai asked, then she snapped her fingers and the Doctor and Sally fell back to the ground of the TARDIS. Sally did her best to land on her good foot, but she waivered when she hit the ground. The Doctor's strong grip on her arm kept Sally from falling. He helped her into the chair.

The Doctor went to the console and looked at the scanner. Everything seemed to be right. They were on Lisi, a nice forested location, good weather, twilight. Perfect. He threw one final lever on the console and TARDIS doors opened. "Welcome to Lisi," he said.

The Poikyo flew to the door and waited for their queen. She flew out the doors first, followed by Lady Columbine. The rest of the Poikyo followed and flew out into the fragrant evening air of their new home. The Doctor pushed Sally's wheelchair to the door, he helped her to stand up and then he picked her up and carried her out of the TARDIS. He set her down in the grass and then he sat down next to her.

"Where are we?" Sally asked. The grass seemed purple and the trees were unlike anything Sally had ever seen.

"Lisi, a small planet several million light years away from Earth. It's a really beautiful place. There's a small human population here."

"Another planet? And humans living on it? You're kidding me, Doctor," Sally said.

"I'm not," the Doctor replied.

Several Poikyo flew past the Doctor and Sally, each shouting a think you to him in their bell-like voices. Queen Bai came over to where the Doctor and Sally were sitting, "Thank you for bringing us here. This is beautiful and it will be a perfect home."

"You are most welcome," he replied.

"Would you like to see something very special? Something that no one but Fai-kind has ever seen before?" Queen Bai asked. When the Doctor and Sally nodded, Bai said, "Wait here."

She and a group of Poikyo disappeared. The Doctor and Sally sat in silence for several moments. Sally's stomach growled a deep growl.

"Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her stomach.

"Don't be silly," the Doctor said getting up. "You haven't had anything to eat since we started our little adventure and that was quite a while ago. I'll be right back." He went into the TARDIS.

Sally leaned back against the blue box and looked up into the trees. It was a beautiful night. A breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees above her. She could see the blue lights of Poikyo darting about in the treetops. She wondered what they were doing. Perhaps scouting out for a place to build their homes. It was several minutes later that the Doctor reappeared from the TARDIS. He carried a picnic basket and a teapot.

"Night time picnic," he announced and sat down next to Sally. He opened the basket and began to pull food out. "I didn't know what you liked, so I brought a variety." There were sandwiches and hot fish and chips. There was lots of fruit, most of it Sally recognized, but some she didn't. And last was a plate of cheese. He pulled out two china tea cups and poured the steaming tea from the pot.

Sally picked up one of the sandwiches and began to eat. She was hungrier than she realized and had a second sandwich. The Doctor picked a banana for his meal and ate it. He laid back in the grass and watched the blue lights darting around in the trees.

They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company, the food and the warm night. Sally picked up an unusual fruit. It looked a like a pear, but it was silver.

"Doctor, what is this?" she held it up for him to see. He sat up and looked at the fruit.

"It's a piorra, native fruit to Gallifrey."

"Your home world?" Sally asked.

"The Doctor nodded and leaned back, propping himself on his elbow. He took his tea cup into his hand. "It's good. Texture like an apple and taste like a banana. Personally, I just prefer bananas."

Sally looked at the fruit, "Does it have to be peeled?"

"Nope, you eat it just like you would an apple." He sipped his tea.

Sally bit into the silver fruit. He was right, it did taste a bit like a banana, but different. Sally couldn't quite describe the taste, but she loved it. "It's wonderful. Better than a banana!" She took another bite.

The Doctor laughed, "Well isn't that the way it goes? You like the fruit from my home world and I prefer the one from yours."

"The grass is always greener," Sally started, "or purple," she laughed indicating the grass she sat in.

"Or silver," chuckled the Doctor.

They noticed Queen Bai and her group returning. The Doctor quickly packed up the picnic. Queen Bai and her royal entourage approached them. In her hands was a small glowing orb.

"Watch now," the queen whispered. She held the orb out and it floated just inches above the ground. The Poikyo surrounded it and formed a circle with the orb in the middle. "When the first baby laughed for the first time," Queen Bai said, "it's laugh went skipping about and that was the beginning of Fai. Now on this world of Lisi, the first baby laugh that has happened here since our arrival has been captured. It is here and it will be the first of our kind on Lisi."

The Poikyo and Lady Columbine kissed their fingers and blew their kisses at the orb. The orb began to glow a bright golden light, reaching a brightness so intense, Sally almost closed her eyes. Just at that moment, the light burst and floating in its place was a tiny blue fairy, no bigger than Sally's little finger. Queen Bai stepped forward and took the infant in her arms. "She is Lissi and being the first Fai born on this planet, she is to be my daughter and heir to the Queen of the Poikyo."

"Princess Lissi!" the others all shouted.

Queen Bai held the baby up for Sally and the Doctor to see. Sally leaned in and looked at the tiny child. "She is beautiful."

"Thank you for sharing her creation with us," the Doctor said.

A Poikyo descended from the trees above the TARDIS. "My queen," she said, "a home for you and the princess has been prepared."

"Thank you Mae," the queen said. The Poikyo messanger bowed and flew back up into the trees.

"Doctor, I wish to tahnk you for bringing us here," Bai said. "I wish Shai had listened to you when you first offered to help us. More of our kind would still be alive, but then, I never would have known Columbine, who has become my dear friend."

"I am honored to have helped. Take care of your new home and your people," he picked up the picnic basket and placed it in the TARDIS. He returned to Sally, who was struggling to get up on her own, and he lifted her into his arms. "Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye!" Sally called as he carried her into the blue box. Sally heard hundreds of fell voices calling goodbye to her.

The Doctor placed her back into the wheel chair and went to the controls. "Now Sally," he said with a half-smile, "If I remember correctly, we were on our way to see the Pascaline." He turned a few knobs and threw a lever and the blue bars in the central time rotor began to move.

* * *

**Yes, I borrowed heavily from ****_Peter Pan_********in describing how fairies came to be. Peter Pan by James Barrie is one of my favorite books of all time. One more chapter to go. Thanks for reading... Idrylla**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_"Now Sally," he said with a half-smile, "If I remember correctly, we were on our way to see the Pascaline." He turned a few knobs and threw a lever and the blue bars in the central time rotor began to move._

Sally smiled, "Yes, I think we were." The Doctor said nothing more. He only smiled. Several minutes later the blue bars stopped moving, indicating they had landed. He approached Sally and her wheelchair.

"Doctor, I won't let you carry me all the way to town," Sally said.

"I didn't think you would, so I have this," he held up a black wooden cane.

Sally took the can from him She looked at it and saw the most beautiful circles carved into the wood. "Doctor, this is lovely," she said.

"It was mine a long time ago. Back when I was an old man."

Sally looked at the Doctor, completely confused by what he had just said. She chuckled nervously. He helped her to stand up. She leaned against the cane. It was a perfect size and much more comfortable to use than the stick she had found last night to use.

The Doctor pulled out a clean red over tunic and held it up for her to see. "Can't have you going out into the streets of Rouen in your petticoats."

Sally noticed for the first time she was in clean clothes. She remembered when she fell asleep, she was muddy and wearing the Doctor's jacket. "How did I get clean clothes on?" she asked. Her face flushed. Had he dressed her?

"The Poikyo. When they came on board the TARDIS, Queen Bai was concerned for your injury. She had some of her people use their magic and made you and your clothes clean." He pulled the tunic over her head. She stuck her arms through the sleeves.

"Really?" Sally asked.

"Really," the Doctor answered. He tied the last lace. "Now then, shall we go?" He held out his elbow. Sally held his arm with her right hand and used the cane in her left. She was able to walk, or limp, along fairly comfortably.

The Doctor opened the door and stepped out, then he held out a hand to help her out. They were in the middle of a city street. No one seemed to notice the blue box in the road.

Sally looked around at the busy goings on in the city street. People hurrying from one place to another, buying food from vendors, chatting with friends, bartering goods. Even in the 17th century, city life was city life and Sally felt a little more at home. They begin to walk down the street.

The Doctor answered Sally's question before she could even ask. "I spoke with Columbine and asked her if she knew a Blaise Pascal and his mechanical calculator. You wouldn't believe what she said," the Doctor paused.

"Go on then, tell me," Sally said.

He smiled, "She told me of course she knew Pascal. His first mechanical calculator had one fault that kept it from working properly. She said he was incredibly frustrated that he just couldn't figure out why it didn't work."

"Wait, Doctor, did she do something fairy-like and mischievous to his Pascaline?" Sally asked.

"I asked her the same thing, but she only smiled sweetly at me," the Doctor grinned.

"I can't believe it," Sally said.

"Anyway, it only helped him to create a new and better model and she also told me where he lived. That's why the TARDIS brought us here, instead of the countryside again."

They stopped walking in front of a two story stone building. It was in a long line of other similar buildings. Sally heard some nearby people talking at one of the food vendors.

"Oh yes, he showed it to me," one man was saying.

"And did it work?" another man asked.

"It did. I couldn't believe it. He turned the wheels to a set of numbers, turned the little cranks and would you believe it? It worked. It added those numbers together," the first man said.

"Oh, it's just a silly toy," a woman spoke up. "A clock adding up numbers? Silly thing."

Sally looked at the Doctor, his eyes were twinkling.

"First doubters of the usefulness of computers," he whispered. They approached the door and the Doctor knocked on it. A young man of about nineteen opened the door.

"Ah, good day, sir," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I heard you have a most fascinating clock here. One that adds numbers?"

"It's not a clock sir, it's called the Pascaline and it does more than just add numbers. Would you like to see it?" the boy said.

"Indeed," the Doctor said. The boy opened the door wider and the Doctor and Sally stepped in. "I'm the Doctor and this is Sally," he introduced them.

"I'm Blaise Pascal. I created the Pascaline for my father to use. He's a tax receiver."

Sally stared at the young man. So young. She had built her first computer at his age, but she hadn't invented any of it, just put it together. He had invented it all. A man was sitting at a table near the window. On the table in front of him was a metal box the size of a loaf of bread. Young Pascal began to explain how his invention worked, how to put in the numbers to be added and how to turn the metal cogs to get the correct answer. Sally watched in absolute amazement. Right in front of her was the first computer, it's creator and the first computer user. Blaise Pascal beamed with pride as the Doctor congratulated him on his achievement. After several more demonstrations at the Pascaline's ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide large numbers, the Doctor and Sally said farewell to the Pascal men and they left.

"Doctor, that was absolutely amazing. Thank you for taking me to see it and to meet the man himself."

"My pleasure, Dr. Armstrong," he said. He gave her hand, which was tucked into the crook of his elbow, a squeeze. He led them back into the TARDIS, but instead of taking her to the wheelchair, he led her to a tall-backed armchair. She sat down. It was much more comfortable than the wheel chair and Sally rested her injured foot on the footstool.

"Well, Sally," the Doctor began to fiddle with the knobs and switches on the console, "if you want, I could take you back home. Back to London, 1971 and the Ides Scientific Institute. Or, I could take you to Florida to see the Apollo 14 take off and then home after that. " He smiled his half-smile at her.

"You would do that for me? I mean, don't you have more important things to do than treat me to amazing moments in Earth's history?"

"Time machine, Sally. I have all the time in the universe." The Doctor knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how to bait his prey. He felt guilty about that, but he wasn't ready to be alone again. He liked Sally. She was intelligent and calm. She would be fun to take around the universe and show her the amazing things it had to offer. "So, do you want to go to Florida or not?"

Sally grinned, "Of course I want to see the Apollo 14."

"Let's go then!" the Doctor threw several switches. "Besides Sally, I can't take you back to the Institute with a sprained ankle. What would people think?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Sally said. Honestly the thought hadn't crossed her mind at all. It was a valid point, after all. How would she explain leaving the institute with a stranger and returning with a bad foot?

"I guess you'll just have to stay with me until it heals," the Doctor said. He didn't want to trick Sally. He hoped she'd want to go anyway even without the premise of waiting to return her after her foot healed. Still, he wasn't ready to be alone again. Not yet. "After the Apollo 14, I could take you to the London summer games in 2012 or I could take you back to Greece for the first Olympics or, if you like sports, we could go to Kirola, a planet that is completely devoted to the improvement and playing of every sport in the universe. Sports teams and coaches from all over the universe go to Kirola to practice and hone their skills. It's fascinating. I went years ago to see the biggest cricket tournament in the universe. I had a real liking for cricket years ago." The Doctor was practically flying around the console in excitement.

Sally could do nothing but laugh.

She wanted to get back home to the institute. After seeing the Pascaline, she felt inspired to get back to work on her own projects, but at the same time, the Doctor had shown her there was so much more to life and the universe than computers and robots. There were amazing creatures like fairies and Poikyo. There were worlds where grass was purple and the fruit off a tree was silver.

Her foot was injured. Really, she couldn't go home just yet. It would just bring up too many questions. She also realized that the Doctor, for all his calm, knowledge and diplomacy, seemed lonely. She could see his was desperately trying to keep her with him. She like the attention and he could show her things that would only inspire her more for when she finally did get back home to her work at the institute. "Well, Doctor, let's get to Florida and see the Apollo 14. Then we can decide from there where to go next. Either home or off to another adventure."

"Fair enough," he said. It was. He was happy to have her along, even if only for a little while longer. He set the coordinates into the TARDIS. "Do you like music, Sally? Mind if I turn some on?"

The Doctor flipped on an old phonograph player and the sounds of Glenn Miller and his orchestra filled the TARDIS. They were off to their next adventure.

* * *

**FIN**

**I hope you enjoyed my little story. It seemed like a fun idea for the Doctor to meet up with fairies. And while I haven't said it in a while, I wish to add in the disclaimer that I own nothing of Doctor Who, The Doctor, Sally, or the TARDIS. To hear how the Doctor met Sally, check out the incredible story 'Dark Eyes' by Big Finish. The story of the Poikyo and the fairies was my own creation, though. Please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!**

**-Idrylla**


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